Walter M. Kimbrough knew he was where he was supposed to be when he became the president of Dillard University in July 2012. Raised by a United Methodist preacher for a father and a religion teacher and book author for a mother, Kimbrough grew up learning the idea of “fulfilling your calling.” “Being a college president is my calling, to engage young people so they can serve their communities,” Kimbrough says. “My favorite thing is being with the students.”

The Dillard University position is Kimbrough’s second college president role. He came to Dillard from Philander Smith College, located in Little Rock, Ark., where he tackled the development of the school’s unique brand identity. He also greatly improved student performance, which was measured in retention and graduation rates. Kimbrough says he helped make Philander Smith College a stronger institution, a goal he also has for Dillard. “My long-term goal is to be at Dillard,” Kimbrough says. “I want to provide stable leadership so that we can secure the future of this institution, as well as determine how we can best meet the needs of the Gentilly community as well as the city of New Orleans.”

Kimbrough spent his first days on the job meeting faculty and staff. He is looking forward to meeting new people and meeting with constituent groups and community partners as he continues his role. For those who don’t get the chance to meet Kimbrough in person, they can join the more than 4,200 users that follow him on Twitter (@hiphopprez).

myNewOrleans.com: People to Watch: Our Annual Survey of Newly Notables

Whether
you just graduated, are returning to school or are looking for a new job,
within or outside your career, you need a resume. But not just a resume. You need a great resume. One which
will stand out among the rest and help you land that job which you're hoping
will make some positive impact on your life.

My first
tip of advice before you even start is to not get lost in the resume, but
remember what you're trying to accomplish. Not only does your resume reflect
you, but it also attracts or repels certain kinds of employers. Obviously you
want the good ones, and your resume can be that filter. That said, however,
you always need to stand behind what is on your resume because ultimately you are what makes the
difference in the interview and job.

Lastly,
you might be thinking "Writing a resume has nothing to do with
technology." Au contraire. It has everything to do with technology...
unless you write yours with a feather pen on animal hide.

The Most Important Part Of The Resume

What
would you consider the most important part of a resume? Your education?
Skillset? Experience? Vast knowledge in a specific area? In my opinion, all
of those are great, but none of them are the most important aspect of your
resume. The most important
part of your resume is your contact information. Think about it.

If you
were an employer looking through vast amounts, or even just a few resumes and
you stumbled upon one that "wowed" you, but included no contact
information, what would you think? What would you do? First off, a thought
might occur that they aren't attentive to details enough to even remember to
include it. Second, you might not have the time or even care to try to find
their contact information. Perhaps it was even in an email signature or
something and you have it somewhere, but you are likely to not put much
effort if they can't even do that much.

Next,
it's important where
it goes. As tempting as it may be, don't place your contact information (or
anything really) in the header or footer. The primary reason being that if
you submit your resume online to a transposing database, the header and
footer are likely to be missed in the scanning for key words and phases. This
is because most just scan through the body of the resume.

A One Page Resume? Really?

There is
a common thought out there that your resume shouldn't extend one page, unless
you are something special. And sadly, students in high school and
universities are learning this still. I cannot count the times I was told
this in school, even college. In fact, my last semester before I graduated I
was applying for a job and asked an instructor for her input on my already
stellar resume (I thought so, anyways). This was one of the things she told
me to do - only make it one page. But when looking at my resume, that was
clearly unrealistic. I had far too many valuable experiences to just cut them
out, even if they all weren't completely "relevant" to the job I
was applying for - which I'll cover later.

The
answer to your question is "No. You don't have to make it one page." However,
there are some guidelines to follow here:

Don't add filler information,
larger font or extra spaces just to make it two pages.

Don't make the font too small
and hard to read to make it fit to one or two pages.

It should be equal. If it's
two pages, make it a full two pages.

If it spills just over one
page, tweak your resume until it fits.

Focus on content, not length.
Once you have quality content, then make the size adjustments.

As you
might see, they somewhat contradict each other in a way, but I think you
should understand it. These are the tips that helped me. I can't remember how
or when I learned them. It was likely a combination or the Internet, school
(very minimal) and personal experience through self-teaching.

Create A Clean, Easy-To-Follow Layout

In some
ways, this goes right along with how many pages you have. You definitely want
to customize the layout to the number of pages that you have. There are a
couple aspects in having an easy-to-follow resume. First, you must have a
nice template. You don't want something busy or obnoxious. Something that
makes it easy to find the information the interviewer is looking for. Another
side, however, is less about the actual template and more about how you
position your content.

Be
consistent. I can't emphasize this enough. If you do something one way in
an area of your resume, do it that same way throughout the rest of it. If you
change how something is positioned. If necessary, make that same change in
all other areas of your resume. You want your resume to flow, not have your
interviewer feel like they're in a chaotic abyss of words when reading your
resume.

As far
as choosing a template goes, there are tons of them. If you're using Word,
Microsoft has several. The
internet is full of ideas and there
are even ways to use LinkedIn to create your resume for you. Although, I
wouldn't necessarily condone only using that as your main resume, but it's a
nice option. What I did was get an idea from a resume I saw and created one
for myself, making custom tweaks here and there to my liking, while keeping
the basic layout the same. It doesn't matter what template you choose, as
long as it meets the requirements of being easily read.

There
are also a lot of ways to make your resume. From infographics
to clever designs to videos. However, though these are very cool, I don't
personally feel they're very practical... especially not for all careers
across the board. Some careers strive for creative individuals that stand out
from the rest - these are the kind of resumes that fit. All other careers
simply should have pretty basic resumes. That doesn't mean it has to be
boring to read. Just like a story, you want the interview to feel engaged
when reading it, to be impressed when they set it down... or better yet, not
be able to set it down, but to continue to look through it.

Be Concise, But Thorough.

Content
plays a huge role in whether your layout looks lean or not. You can have a
great looking template, but not an easy to read resume. This is likely due to
your content not being as clear and concise as it should be. Keeping things
as short as possible is important. Let me put an asterisk by that though. You
don't want a vague resume. Meaning, you want to be thorough and avoid short,
one to two word lines. It's ok to have sentences and explain yourself
in your resume. This was something I learned by myself as well.

In high
school, I felt as if they pushed your resume to summarize your professional
life. And to an extent you want it to, but not too much to the point that you
have dwindled down every skill and experience. In fact, many of
the cliched phrases and sayings for resumes are derived from this
very principle of "minimalism." Again, you want to be concise, and
certainly not redundant, but you need to make sure that you are also
explaining who you are, what you've done,and maybe even why you have done it.

Impress, But Be Honest

Obviously
you want your resume to stand out from the rest. You've gone to great
measures choosing a killer template, creating excellent content... oh,
content. About that. Reread everything you've got on your resume. How much of
that have you literally
accomplished? Have you specified your extent of knowledge in that
skill or experience? Let's say you have "Managed a team to create...
blah blah blah." Did you really manage the team? Or did you just observe
them? Perhaps you did help manage the team, but in that phrase, it sounds
like you were the sole manager. Were there others of equal stature whom you
worked with to manage the team? These are important things to include. I have
found myself being a little overzealous when writing/editing my resume and
often need to step back and look at things a little bit more realistically.

In the
image blow you can see I chose the word "assisted." There are a lot
more powerful words that sound better, but essentially that is all I did and
it wouldn't be right to set a bar higher than what my skill level depicts.
Also, the majority of the time, being honest will impress.

Forget References

Ok, so
don't literally forget them. But don't add them, not mention anything
referring to them on your resume. For a long time I added "references
available" in the footer. Then I read how that is not really necessary
since employers assume that you will have references, especially if you're
"sharp" - which your resume will often indicate. Employers
typically will ask for references later.

However,
depending on the situation, they do sometimes ask for references at the same
time of the resume (or sometimes, you just know they're going to want them
right away). In these situations, I do include three references which are the
most relevant to the job I'm applying for. I have a separate resume created
with my references already in it so all I need to do is swap out any
references, if I so desire, change their contact information and send it
away.

That is
an exception though. For the general resume that you might hand out and certainly
for any public resume of yours which you post to the internet, leave out the
references. If the employers like what they see, they'll contact you for
more. It also gives them a reason to
contact you for more, and indirectly tells you they're interested. The more
contact you have with them the better so you don't want to give them
everything they want right away, unless of course they directly ask for it.

Grammar, Grammar, Grammar

Grammar.
I can't emphasize it enough. I've said it four times and I still don't feel that
you quite understand what I'm getting at. Alright, so I'll assume that you
do. Honestly though, this is one of the most important aspects of your
resume. I'd almost say it's right below remembering to add and having proper
placement of contact information. If you don't have an outstanding skillset
expressed on your resume, but have flawless grammar, you're already above
average. It doesn't just show that you know how to make a resume, but that
you pay attention to detail. Detail that also will be expected on the job, no
matter what you do. If you have trouble with this, don't just do it on your
resume, practice it in every day life so that when you do get a job, you
don't disappoint.

As you
can see, even I mess up grammar occasionally. Although it doesn't happen
often.

One Resume Doesn't Fit All

I've
already mentioned this briefly when referring to having multiple resumes, one
with and one without references. However, it doesn't stop there. I highly
recommend you tweak your resume per job. Slightly adjust your objective to
match what you are expecting from that job and what they are looking for. Add
any skills that you have that may be more relevant to the job. Just adjust
the overall focus of your resume to that company. It should also relate to
the cover letter you write to them and include many of the same things.

Since
graduating, I've applied at several places which are very different. Not all
of the places were paying, some volunteer, like zoos, but many still
requested a resume. From an avian sanctuary to two zoos to several vet
clinics, my resume had a lot of tweaks. Had I not created multiple versions,
I would have been in a mess and would have been constantly changing and
editing what I wanted that particular organization to see.

Instead
of having to make the whole thing again, I recommend saving it as another
version, opening that version and making the changes, then saving it again.
That way you don't overwrite your other versions of resumes. I also recommend
having PDF and DOC versions of your resume. Personally, I prefer sending a
PDF version versus a DOC version. Most of the time that is what employers
want anyways.

Manage Your Resumes

After
creating resume after resume, you will soon realize that they need to be
managed some how. If you're somewhat unfamiliar with file management in
general, I
encourage you to read my article about that. In that article I talk about
naming your files according to what is included in them and also dating them.
This is especially important with resumes. It's nice to know what resume is
for what job. For instance, I have a resume for a vet assistant position, a
zoo keeper position and for working at an avian sanctuary. Plus, I have my
general resume. It would be impossible to keep all of these straight it they
didn't have a proper description.

Along
with describing, dating the file name is also important. Not just when you
initially created it, but as you update it, change the name to when you last
updated it. For me, I just go by month and don't really need to get more
specific than that. This has proven very helpful because I might have
forgotten about adding something recent to my resume, but will be reminded
when I see it hasn't been updated for two months.

Lastly,
put all your resumes in one folder. If you want to access these from other
places, online
cloud backup and sync applications like SugarSync and Dropbox
are excellent solutions. It also is in your benefit to use such programs
since they have file versioning and live updating to automatically detect and
save any changes you make.

Tell A Story

Remember
that your resume is basically a timeline of your professional life. At first
it may seem bleak, especially if you don't have much professional experience.
But be creative. Share about what life experiences you've gone through. Have
you done Eagle Scouts? What about volunteer work, specifically in your area
of interest? What extra curricular activities did you do in school? What
skills have you taught yourself through your interests in a particular
career? These are all things that you can include and should include on your
resume. There are so many more things as well, but hopefully those questions
will trigger some ideas for you to compound on and work with.

Conclusion - It's Only The Beginning

So
you've finished your resume. Congrats! Now I'm going to tell you that your
resume is an ever growing, ever changing, live document. It will never be
finished. For now, you are content with it. But soon you will think of
something else to add or do something else that should be put on there. This
is fine and you shouldn't get discouraged about the never ending resume work.
In fact, be proud that yours doesn't sit around outdated.

Your
resume is just the first part of your presentation. Like I said in the
beginning, you
are what makes a difference. Be sure that you can back up everything on your
resume, and if in doubt, allow a little leeway to go beyond what you wrote in
your resume. If you don't agree with something here, I am more than willing
to hear your argument and embrace different viewpoints.

Have you
developed a resume based off these guidelines already? How has this article
helped you in creating your newly refined resume? If you haven't created a
resume yet, are there any additional questions I can help with?

The
Tenure Trek

Congratulations to the ACW community members who
recently earned tenure. Bravo! With the beginning of a new academic year, a
number of you are preparing to submit your tenure portfolios, and many of
our newly minted PhDs are in the process of moving to new institutions and
setting out on their first tenure track positions at universities across
the U.S. and Canada.

ACW is excited to roll out our new Tenure Trek graphic
with “tools” to help you succeed on your trek. If you click on the image
below, you’ll be directed to our website and can find out more about what
to expect as you prepare for your tenure review.

Here are some essential pointers if you are beginning
your tenure trek:

Make a plan. Don’t allow teaching
responsibilities to derail you. Revisit the research statement you prepared
for your job search, and establish a timeline that fits with your tenure
review process. Share your timeline with a mentor in your department and
adjust it to fit the expectations of your department.

Brand yourself. Identify your unique
contribution as a scholar and consciously construct your message to be
consistent with your scholarly identity or “brand.”

Get help. Build relationships
early and continue to grow your support network. Your journey along the
path to tenure will become easier if you identify mentors, peer supporters,
and impartial coaches to support you.

Contact drsally@academiccoachingandwriting.org
for help designing your tenure plan, meeting your research and writing
goals, and constructing your tenure portfolio. Our academic coaches will
support you as you grow as a scholar, take charge of your career, balance
competing demands, and provide accountability to help you achieve your
goals.

NINE STEPS TO BECOMING
A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE ACADEMIC WRITER

Sally Jensen, PhD, ACW Founder

In this blog series you will learn to nurture a daily
writing habit, challenge common assumptions, overcome procrastination,
eliminate distractions, use a timer, set SMART goals, chunk your project
into small tasks, track progress, and establish accountability.

VIRTUAL
WRITING ROOM

Friday, September 14, 2012 - Friday,
December 14, 2012

ACW is offering a 12-week virtual daily Writing Room,
and we are offering it free to those who sign up to work with a
dissertation or faculty coach for three months. To be eligible for this
offer, you must sign up to work with a coach by September 7, 2012, and
begin your coaching by September 14, 2012. Those of you who are currently
working with an ACW coach also are eligible for this offer.

SETTING
OUT ON YOUR DISSERTATION JOURNEY: FINDING YOUR TOPIC

Kat Malinsky, EdD, ACW Dissertation Coach

Thursday, September 20, 2012

In this teleseminar you will take inventory of your
vision in preparation for your dissertation journey, choose a preliminary
research focus, evaluate your topic's "goodness," and begin to
narrow your research topic.

FINDING
YOUR TRIBE: DEVELOPING A WOMEN'S ACADEMIC SUPPORT NETWORK

Moira Killoran, PhD, ACW Director of Coaching

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Have you found an academic tribe that will support you
on your academic journey? This teleseminar will help you understand the
role of mentors, sponsors, and peer supporters. You will learn how to
deepen your relationships with colleagues to find the support you need.

Carina Vocisano,
PhD
ACW Consultant and Coach

I am a new coach and consultant at
Academic Coaching and Writing. I also am a salsa dancer, a painter, and a
recovering chocoholic! I have taught courses in counseling and mental
health at several universities and colleges in the New York area, and I
became a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Southern
Connecticut State University in 2002. My research program focuses on the
working alliance between client and counselor, and my research involves
understanding the characteristics of counselors that predict change in
therapy, including clients’ achievement of goals and symptom reduction.

For this newsletter I want to share two
tips I learned on my tenure trek:

Ask faculty at your college or
university about their tenure stories. This
may help you understand the decisions made by the tenure and promotion
committee. I recall being upset by a decision made by the tenure and
promotion committee to deny tenure to a colleague. A discussion with this
faculty member about his teaching provided me with some hints about the
committee’s decision. The faculty member spoke with a sense of superiority
when discussing students and blamed them for his poor teaching evaluations.
He said, in effect, that the students were not very bright and, therefore,
they couldn’t understand the content of his lectures. I have learned that
this tendency to blame one’s students is often a sign of poor teacher
training and a lack of willingness to reach out for help with teaching.

Stay fully engaged and
inspired as a person and a faculty member! Mark
Twain said: “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education!” This
applies to being a faculty member as well. While academia can be exciting
and life affirming, it also can be a bureaucratic and life-draining
experience. As a result, build connections to help yourself feel engaged and
inspired. Many of your interests outside your discipline can be
meaningfully connected to your research and teaching. For example, I love
yoga, and so I looked for ways to connect yoga with psychology. The field
of mindfulness connects these two disciplines, and when I began integrating
mindfulness into my teaching, I learned that students are fascinated with
meditation and its benefits for people suffering from depression and
anxiety.

Nyasha Junior, PhD
Assistant
Professor, Howard University School of Divinity

Nyasha (www.nyashajunior.com) is in her
fourth year of the tenure trek at Howard University. ACW applauds Nyasha
for being awarded the prestigious Association of Theological Schools
Faculty Fellowinsip. She will be on leave for the academic year to to work
on her book. We asked Nyasha to share a few tips on navigating the tenure
trek.

Tenure Trek: Mentoring

Luke had Yoda. Plato had Socrates. Annelle
had Truvy. Who is there for you?

My advice: First, figure out what you
need. Then find a mentor.

Identify specific information
needs. Think about nitty-gritty information that you cannot get
from a guide book written for new faculty. How are student evaluations used
(officially and unofficially) in your department? What are some tips for
writing a successful grant application for MoneyBags Foundation?

Seek out a particular person. Who
might possess the information that you need? Do not expect one person to
have the answers for everything. For example, if you are new to teaching
large lecture courses, you may ask a colleague who is famous for teaching
such courses. Figure out the best way to contact her and make a specific
request. Hello Dr. Hot
Shot, your Yarn Rolling course is legendary on campus. I am teaching
Hamster Running 101 this year for the first time, and I would like to talk
to you about strategies that you use in teaching a large lecture class.

Take it slow. If you
want a mentor, you need to have many brief conversations. If the
first conversation goes well, have another. Most people like to be asked
for their expertise. See where things go. Don’t push it. Something may
evolve organically. Use the force, Young Skywalker!

NOTE: Workshops are
free to TLT Group Individual Members.Check
your institution's status hereif you have your membership through an
institutional subscription.$200 for non
members.

*

Voice of the
Chat (VoC) - Guidelines for an important supporting role in the TLT
Group's (and other) synchronous online sessions. FridayLive! Sept 7, 2012 at 2:00 pm ET - free to all.Registration
for September 7thVoC: Closely
monitors the text/chat area during a synchronous online session. Brings
participants' questions to the attention of leader/presenters when
there is a natural break in the presentation, or when leaders/presenters call
for questions. Some VoCs also enrich the text/chat by inserting
their own comments, suggested resources, relevant URLs, etc.

Call for
proposals.We are inviting members to offerFridayLive! sessions. Look for more information, coming soon

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Welcome to the Dillard University Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Technology Blog!

The Dillard University Center for Teaching, Learning and Academic Technology (DUCTLAT) http://www.ductlat.blogspot.com/ is essential in helping faculty effectively manage technology on and off campus. An important aspect of this initiative is achieved by bringing groups of faculty members together to learn the technology necessary to develop electronic resources for their courses and themselves, while planning and beginning the development of shared curricular materials. Cultivating faculty success at all levels reinforces the University's commitment to build premier faculty learning communities. All faculty, deans and academic administrators play a critical role in creating competitive and productive academic units in which expectations for faculty performance are clearly articulated and professional achievements are recognized and rewarded.